Words and phrases change their meaning often as language evolves. In the past, something was “awful” if it was amazing (think “awesome” or “awe-inspiring”). A “naughty” person was poor rather than poorly behaved. Only museum exhibitions could be curated, certainly not wardrobes, flats or social media pages. “Bimbo” meant “reckless man”, but is now a sexist word for a young woman, complicated by […] … learn more→

New norms for differentiating supernatural phenomena from the natural within Roman Catholicism took effect on May 19. The new norms arise from the need to evaluate as quickly as possible the supernatural origin or otherwise of an array of phenomena occurring increasingly within the Catholic world and spreading quickly via social media. Possible supernatural phenomena include apparitions […] … learn more→

We speak of bilingualism when a person masters two languages ​​at a similar level and speaks them fluently (either from the cradle or at a later age). Today in our global society, millions of people are able to communicate in more than one language . Speaking several languages ​​is often worthy of admiration by people who do not have […] … learn more→

Students at all-girls’ schools do slightly better in their exams than girls at co-educational schools, according to new research from the United Kingdom. This goes against previous studies that suggest it does not matter if students attend single-sex or co-ed schools. What is the study? This research was done by FFT Education Datalab. This is an independent research team specialising […] … learn more→

In addition to being beneficial for our body, physical activity also plays a crucial, often unsuspected, role in the development and modification of our brain. Through the birth of new neurons (neurogenesis) and the creation of connections between neurons (synaptogenesis) and blood vessels which improve blood circulation to the brain (angiogenesis), physical activity sculpts the […] … learn more→

For more than 50 years, Asian American studies has been a recognized field at American colleges and universities. But outside of California, students who want to study it as a major or minor are usually out of luck. However, the tide is beginning to turn. Duke University created an academic minor in Asian American studies in 2022. […] … learn more→

You’re about to write a conference abstract. That sounds straightforward but it’s often not. There are things to decide even before you start writing. For example you have to choose what to focus on. And how cooked it already is. This choice may lead to two dilemmas. Here’s the first – Do you put in […] … learn more→

Every day there are headlines about Donald Trump’s many legal woes. At his ongoing criminal trial in a Manhattan courthouse, the former president of the United States is accused of the inappropriate use of campaign funds to cover up a sexual relationship with former adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Despite Trump’s many legal challenges and his dubious […] … learn more→

A parent asked a question in a private Facebook group in April 2024: Does anyone with a child who is both gifted and disabled have any experience with New York City public schools? The parent received a seemingly helpful answer that laid out some characteristics of a specific school, beginning with the context that “I […] … learn more→

If you search “shrimp Jesus” on Facebook, you might encounter dozens of images of artificial intelligence (AI) generated crustaceans meshed in various forms with a stereotypical image of Jesus Christ. Some of these hyper-realistic images have garnered more than 20,000 likes and comments. So what exactly is going on here? The “dead internet theory” has […] … learn more→